Too Complex For Hermione
by Tricycle Babe
Summary: It all began as a plan to make Ron jealous, but Hermione soon found herself falling into a trap she hadn't foreseen. What if her captor begins to find that he has feelings for her? Draco/Hermione, Harry/Pansy.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER, AND I AM NOT MAKING ANY MONEY OFF THIS PIECE OF WRITING. _

**Chapter One**

Hermione Granger hurried down the corridor towards her Transfiguration class. Having stayed up so late the previous night helping Harry learn the Summoning Charm for the first task, she didn't realise that she had overslept. She took a quick shower and rushed out of the common room, cursing under her breath for forgetting to set her alarm.

"Sorry I'm late Professor," she gasped, clutching a stitch in her side. "I overslept."

"That's alright Miss Granger," said Professor McGonagall, eyeing her reprovingly. "Make sure it doesn't happen again."

Hermione slid into her seat next to Harry Potter. "How is it that you probably stayed up longer than I did, and still managed to wake up earlier?" she whispered, as Professor McGonagall continued with her explanation.

"Well, it's probably because I'm nervous about the task today," he replied. "Do you know a spell to make me skip straight to tonight?"

"No I don't Harry," said Hermione, scribbling down a few key points on a piece of parchment. "Don't worry so much. You'll do fine! Last night proved that."

"Yeah, but like I said, the Firebolt's going to be a lot farther away than you were from me. What if I stand there looking like an idiot and the dragon shoots a huge fireball at me?"

"I'm sure that won't happen Harry. You need to calm down."

"Miss Granger! Please don't make me take any points away from Gryffindor!" Hermione blushed as the entire class turned to look at her.

"I'm sorry Professor," she said, lowering her head, but not before catching a glimpse of Ron Weasley, who was glaring at both of them.

"Sorry," whispered a guilty Harry. She pursed her lips and shook her head. The rest of the lesson proceeded in relative silence, as both of them attempted to turn the rat in front of them into a box. Hermione succeeded on her fourth try, but Harry, already unsettled due to nerves, managed to make bat wings sprout out of the poor creature's head. Hermione watched him turn a delicate shade of green, as the class laughed and pointed at the rat, who was now flying all over the classroom, squeaking at the top of it's lungs. Professor McGonagall frowned and pointed her wand at the rat. It's wings disappeared instantly, and it fell onto the floor and scampered away.

"Try again Mr Potter," she said grimly, handing him a new rat.

After Transfiguration ended, Harry and Hermione walked out of class first, trying to ignore all the mutters that broke out around them. "Harry, you've got to calm down! I'm telling you, you'll do fine! Tell him Ginny," she said, grabbing the back of the redheads robes as she passed. "He's got all the spells he needs, he's going to do perfect."

"Harry, you _always_ do well in everything," began Ginny.

"Not Potions," retorted Harry.

"But this isn't Potions!" she exclaimed. "You've faced You-Know-Who, for heaven's sake! You're telling me that you're afraid of this task?"

"Hey, with Voldermort I had no idea what I was doing ok?"

"Then pretend it's like that," said Ginny softly. "Lose yourself in it. Forget what you're doing." Harry looked into her eyes and saw that she truly meant what she said.

"Thanks Ginny," he said. "I'll try to keep that in mind."

"You'd better," she said, walking away and getting lost in the sea of students. Harry turned to Hermione, but before he could say anything, he felt a slight tap on his arm. He turned around. It was Cho.

"Good luck today Harry," she said with a small smile, and walked away with her friends. Harry's face heated up, as he tried to ignore the giggles of Cho's group of friends.

"Well now you've got something to work for haven't you?" said Hermione looking amused at the expression on his face. "Come on, I don't want to be late for yet another class."

The rest of the morning passed quickly. Hermione noticed that Harry's calm mood disappeared quickly when Professor Binns mentioned the word dragon during his lecture. Harry, who was lost in his own world at the time, gave an odd yelp which caused everyone to stare at him.

"Is something the matter Peterson?" asked Professor Binns, looking rather annoyed to have been interrupted.

"Nothing sir," said Harry turning red. "Just er, hiccups."

Professor Binns went back to his lecture and Harry put his head down on his desk.

When they headed down to the edge of the forest after lunch, Hermione gave Harry a quick hug and headed towards the stands and sat down next to Neville Longbottom. "How's Harry?" he asked.

"He could be better," she replied. "Where are the dragons?"

"Dragons?" asked Neville looking confused. "What dragons?"

Hermione instantly realised that she had made a huge mistake. "Erm, can't you hear them roaring?" Neville looked positively terrified.

"There are going to be dragons?" he squeaked.

"Oh what's Longbottom moaning about now?" The cold drawl was right behind them. Hermione turned around so fast that her hair slapped Malfoy in the face. "Watch it Mudblood!" he snarled.

"Who asked you to sit behind me if you hate me so much?" asked Hermione turning to face the front. The first dragon had been brought out, and it definitely wasn't happy. Neville's hair was standing up on end, and most of the crowd looked a little uneasy.

"If I were you Granger, I wouldn't spend as much time helping Potter out," said Malfoy. "Why waste your time when you can support a winner instead?" He flashed his _Support Cedric Diggory_ badge at her. Crabbe and Goyle gave twin grunts of laughter.

"Well it's a good thing I'm not you, because Harry's going to win this tournament," said Hermione, still facing the front. Cedric had walked out ashen faced, eyeing the dragon apprehensively.

"Want to bet on that Granger?" asked Malfoy, his voice becoming low as he leaned towards Hermione. She shuddered, as she felt his breath on her neck, and debated whether she should reply or not. "What's wrong?" asked Malfoy, sensing her hesitation. "Scared? Oh well, I didn't expect anything less of you Granger," he said leaning back.

"I bet ten Galleons that Harry wins this task," said Hermione turning around and staring straight into Malfoy's cold grey eyes. He smirked.

"I believe that we were betting on Potter winning this tournament?" he said.

"Yes. Ten Galleons for now, and everything else will be settled for later."

"That's not how I operate Granger," drawled Malfoy. "I already have all the money in the world. Why would I want anymore?" Hermione held her gaze as the crowd gasped. Cedric seemed to be in trouble, but she didn't want to look back.

"What do you want Malfoy?" she snapped. His smirk broadened.

"Well," he began. "For starters, if Potter loses this task, then you have to carry my books around for me for a month."

"Whatever," she said, instantly hoping that Harry wouldn't lose. She didn't know how she would deal with the humiliation if she had to trail after Draco Malfoy as if she was his slave.

"If he loses the second one, you'll have to do everything I say for a whole term."

"And?" she said, wishing that she wasn't having the conversation.

"If he loses the third task, well, then I suppose I'll just have the satisfaction of gloating, and of course, telling your lovely best friend that the only reason you wanted him to win was because you didn't want to lose a bet that you made with me." Hermione glared at him.

"Have you even considered the fact that there is a possibility that you might very well lose?" He laughed.

"No. But since you seem so eager, you might as well ask for something."

Before Hermione could open her mouth, Neville spoke up. "If Harry wins the first task, you have to stop calling her Mudblood, and start being nice to her. If Harry wins the second task, you have to carry her books around for her for a month, and if he wins the tournament, you have to admit that you were wrong." Hermione and Malfoy both stared at Neville in disbelief. They didn't even notice as the Welsh Green ignited Fleur's skirt.

"This isn't your bet Longbottom!" snapped Malfoy, recovering quickly. "Even Mudbloods can speak for themselves."

"Despite that," said Hermione. "I think I agree with Neville. Oh, I just want to add something to the last one." Malfoy raised an eyebrow.

"If Harry wins the tournament, you have to kiss me in front of the whole school." Malfoy's expression instantly turned to one of disgust.

"I will not!" he spat.

"What's the matter?" asked Hermione. "Scared?"

"No!" he said, but he seemed a lot less sure of himself. "Then I'm adding one more thing to it," he said.

"What?" asked Hermione, as she heard Ron shout for Krum.

"If Potter loses the tournament, you have to admit that you love me in front of the whole school." Hermione felt sick at the very thought, but nodded nevertheless.

"It's a bet then," she said, turning around just as Krum grabbed the egg. Cheers filled the stands and she clapped politely.

When Harry walked onto the pitch, she thought she would faint. He looked so tiny compared to the enormous Hungarian Horntail that lay protectively over her eggs. She saw him shout something inaudible, and crossed her fingers. Soon enough, she saw the broom heading straight towards him, and breathed a sigh of relief. Now, she thought, it was all up to him.

She bit her lip hard and clutched her face, watching Harry fly higher and higher. When he got grazed by it's tail, she winced, but soon enough, he dived, and the next thing she knew, the egg was in is hands.

"Whoo hoo!" she cheered, and ran down the steps straight towards the medical tent where Harry seemed to be headed. She was only vaguely aware of Ron following her, and when she got in, she threw her arms around Harry. "Well done Harry! I knew you could do it!"

"Harry," said Ron. "Whoever put your name in the goblet must have been trying to get you killed!"

"Finally caught on have you?" asked Harry coldly. Hermione looked at the both of them, waiting for Ron to apologize. "Forget it," said Harry, grinning. She burst into tears.

"You two are so stupid!" she said, and hugged them both tightly. Then she ran straight out. Ron and Harry could be really thick at times. Neither had known why the other was angry at them, and neither of them had made an effort to make up, even after Hermione had tried to act as a liaison between the both of them for the first few weeks. As for the crying, she supposed that it was one of her mood swings. She's been having a lot of them lately. She stood under a tree and wiped her tears away.

As the judges began to hold up the scores, Malfoy came and stood next to her. Hermione heard him gasp as Ludo Bagman announced Harry as the winner of the task. She turned to him and smirked. "Looks like you've got something to work on," she said, and ran off to find Harry and Ron.

Malfoy stood under the tree in disbelief. What the hell had just happened?

_I'll tell you what happened Malfoy. You just found yourself in deep shit. And it's only going to go downhill from here. So don't expect too much triumph. Reviews are appreciated! Thanks :D_


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER, AND I AM NOT MAKING ANY MONEY OFF THIS PIECE OF WRITING. _

**Chapter Two**

Draco Malfoy was sitting down in the Slytherin common room. The green glow on his face didn't help to improve his expression.

Pansy Parkinson came and sat down next to him. "Hey baby," she said, putting her arms around his neck. "What's wrong?"

"I'll tell you what's fucking wrong!" he spat, moving away from her. "You little dare that's what!" Pansy looked confused. Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott sat down on the couch opposite him.

"What's up with him?" Blaise asked Pansy.

"Something went wrong with the dare," she said, moving closer to him. "What happened with Granger today?" she asked softly.

"I did as you asked," he replied instantly. "I stated all your terms. Then _Longbottom_ of all people had the gall to poke his head into it and suggest something."

"What did he say?" asked Theodore, looking amused. Draco explained everything that had happened. Pansy looked more disgusted by the minute, while Blaise and Theodore just sat there looking amused.

"You should have known better than to have me bet against Potter!"

"Well," said Blaise, once Draco had finished. "You're going to have to start being nice to her."

"That's going to be easy," scoffed Draco. "If I just ignore her, that's nice enough already."

Theodore shook his head. "I think you have to actually do something nice for her once in a while."

"Well, she's going to have to be happy with what she gets," he said, and turned to Pansy, who had her lips pursed.

"I seriously hope you don't lose," she said, leaning towards him. "I couldn't bear to kiss you ever again if I knew that your lips had touched a Mudblood's."

"Don't worry Panse," said Draco, putting an arm around her waist. "Even if it did get to that, I'd give someone Polyjuice and a couple of galleons to do it for me. There is no way I'd ever touch her, let alone kiss her," he said in disgust. Pansy smiled.

"That's my baby," she said, leaning towards his mouth and inserting her tongue into it.

"Get a room would you?" asked Theodore, getting up and walking away. Draco lifted Pansy up, and they headed towards his dormitory, still kissing furiously. She always knew how to make things better, thought Draco, as she pulled his robes off.

* * *

The following day, Draco awoke to loud whispers coming from Theodore and Blaise's beds. He thought he heard his name and Pansy's being mentioned, along with 'needs to be gotten rid of', but he fell asleep again, and only woke up two hours after breakfast. Once he had taken a shower, he realised that he was starving, so he headed towards the kitchen to get some food from the house-elves. He tickled the pear and went inside, only to find that he wasn't the only human being inside.

"What the fuck are you doing down here Granger?" he sneered before a sharp pain seized him, and he doubled over. The bet came into his mind, and he straightened up, eyes watering. "Sorry," he said slowly. "Old habits die hard." The words were hard to say, and the whole situation was made worse by her smirk.

"That's alright Malfoy," she said, and walked towards the fireplace to start up a conversation with a house elf.

Trust her to put a jinx on it, thought Draco, as he walked a little nearer to try and hear what they were saying. He managed to catch a glimpse of the elf, who was dressed in an assortment of hats and socks, and was wearing a tie on his bare chest. He stood out among the rest of the Hogwarts house-elves in their tea cosies, and as Draco took the coffee that one of them offered him, he suddenly understood why the elf looked so familiar.

"Dobby?" he asked, not daring to believe it.

The elf squeaked in fear as he caught sight of his old master. Draco kept staring at him, not knowing what to say. "Master Draco! Dobby is most pleases to see you sir!"

"No you're not Dobby," said Granger. "He's not your master anymore, you don't have to call him that."

"So, sorry Miss!" said Dobby. "But Dobby is so used to it that he can't help himself."

"Well try to," said Granger. "Anyway, I'll bring Harry down here soon. I'm sure he'll be pleased to see you."

"Pleased to see a house-elf?" scoffed Draco, finishing off his croissant. "I always knew he wasn't right in the head."

"For your information, Harry is ten times better than you'll ever be!" Granger retorted. "So I suggest you shut you fat mouth!" She stormed out of the kitchen, leaving Draco unable to say anything. The house elves scurried around, busying themselves.

"Would sir like anything else?" squeaked a particularly tiny one. Draco ignored it and walked out.

Once he reached the common room, he decided to get started on his homework, so that it would be out of the way for the rest of the weekend. Spreading all his work on the table, he felt relieved about the small number of work he had to do. He finished his Potions with ease, and was about to get started on his Defence Against the Dark Arts essay when Pansy crept up behind him and covered his eyes with her hands. "Stop fooling around Crabbe!" he said. Pansy stifled a giggle. "Hey, why do you smell like jasmine? You bloody faggot!" Pansy squealed in delight and jumped into his arms.

"Silly boy! It's only me!"

"Phew!" said Draco, pretending to be relieved. "At least I don't have to worry about Crabbe hitting on me now." Pansy laughed. This was the way their relationship worked; playful but passionate, and extremely loyal. He knew that he could count on her for anything, and she knew that he'd do the same for her.

"So, how's the homework coming along?" asked Pansy. "I finished it all this morning. I wanted to spend the rest of the day with you." Draco smiled.

"I've just got Defence to finish, and I'll be right with you. It won't take long."

"Ok, baby. I'll be waiting," she said, and exited the common room. Draco smiled as he watched her go. Pansy and him had gotten together in the middle of third year. He had no idea how it had happened, especially because he was under the impression that she was a pug-faced annoyance at the time, but she had soon outgrown her baby fat, and become hot over the summer. Once they had started to sleep together, they found themselves getting addicted to it. He couldn't recall anyone else making him happier in his life.

An hour later, he took all his things back to his dormitory and walked out to find Pansy. He knew where she would be; in one of the larger, unused classrooms on the ground floor. It was where they spent most of their time together, since the Slytherin common room was almost always too crowded, and his roommates were forever walking in on them inside the dormitory. Lost in his own world, he didn't notice where he was going, until he collided with someone. "Watch where you're going!" he said.

"I thought we had a bet Malfoy?" Granger picked up her book and turned to face him. She was looking at him expectantly, and Draco wondered what she was waiting for. When he walked away, she called after him. "An apology would be in order!"

"I'm sorry!" he said, not turning back. "Bitch," he added under his breath. He expected the same pain to hit him, but nothing happened. So I can still talk behind her back, he realized. He stormed into the classroom to find Pansy sitting on the teacher's table, her dark hair falling over her face. She frowned when she saw his expression.

"What's wrong?" she asked, as he drew nearer.

"Granger," he said, wrinkling his nose.

"Urgh, does she have a death wish or something?"

"Perhaps," he mused. "Because once the year is out, I'll make her pay. Her and that stupid Longbottom."

"We'll plot their demise later," she said, brushing a strand of his blonde hair out of his eye. "Just forget about it for now." She pulled his hands and wrapped them around her waist. Her own went around his neck and she pulled herself closer to him.

Draco leaned in and covered her full lips with his. His tongue slid in and found hers. His hands began to travel down her waist, and up her back, finally resting on the front of her robes. When he took them off, he saw that she was wearing nothing but an emerald green lace bra and panties with diamonds on them. The intoxicating sight made him hard, and he let his hands roam all over her chest and her back, finally unhooking her bra and letting her breasts fall free.

He took his own robes off and pulled his t-shirt over his head. His trousers were becoming rather uncomfortable, so he took them off as well, including his boxers. She bit his neck and it sent tingles down his spine. He moaned and pulled her panties off, his hands exploring every inch of her well endowed chest. He moved his head down and kissed her breast. She sighed and stroked his hair. He suckled on her erect nipple, listening to her cry his name out. The very sound made him moan in pleasure.

He moved his mouth back up to her neck and slid his fingers into her wet hole, and she shuddered as he pumped them up and down. His mouth moved up and their tongues resumed their duelling with renewed vigour.

Her hands moved down his chest to his now enlarged member, and she began stroking it firmly. He moaned against her mouth, and unable to wait any longer, pulled his fingers out and thrust himself into her. She groaned and cried his name out again and again, as he pumped in and out of her. With a final cry of ecstasy, she shuddered violently, and Draco could feel her walls tightening around him. The feeling cause him to come immediately, and they both embraced each other, gasping for breath.

Pansy smiled at him as he covered her jaw with little kisses, finally ending with a peck on the lips. "Now," she whispered. "Time to start plotting."

"I really can't understand _how_ I got myself into this mess," said Draco, leaning down and collecting all her clothes from the floor and handing them to her. "It was stupid of me to have even accepted the dare. I don't know what I was thinking, betting against Potter. As much as I'd hate to admit," he said, pulling on his boxers, "he really isn't someone you should bet on to lose, even though everyday I wake up and hope that I'm wrong.

"You're lucky that Longbottom wasn't more daring," said Pansy, pulling on her robes over her lingerie. "Otherwise who knows what you might have had to do."

"True," said Draco. The two of them were silent for a while, as Draco finished dressing.

"I do wonder who Granger will go to the Yule ball with," mused Pansy. Draco scoffed.

"The only way that Mudblood will get anyone to go to the ball with her is if she casts a spell on them. I wouldn't put it past her to spike someone's drink with love potion."

"Or maybe she'd Confund them into thinking that she was their girlfriend," giggled Pansy. "Oh dear sweet Granger. What would we do without you?"

"Life would be awfully boring that's for sure," agreed Draco, as he put his arm around her waist. "It would just be Pothead and the Weasel to make fun of, and they aren't half as fun." They walked out of the classroom. "Speak of the devil," he said, spotting someone at the far end of the corridor.

"Why do they always strut around like they own the school?" asked Pansy as they approached the trio.

"I suppose being the headmaster's favourites has something to do with it," said Draco. "Well, well. If it isn't Pothead and the Weasel."

"Don't you have any new nicknames for us?" said Weasley. "Because it's getting a little old."

Granger laughed, but Draco noticed that Potter was eyeing Pansy in a way that made him tighten his grip around her waist. He shot a glare at the bespectacled boy, and Potter returned the favour. The two boys were staring daggers at each other, when Pansy pulled Draco away from them. He followed her lead, trying to calm down. He saw Pansy looking back and followed her gaze, to see Potter looking back at her with the same expression on his face. It was one that Draco knew appeared on his own face many a time when he saw his girlfriend undressing. He lost it right then and there and ran towards him at top speed, intending to pummel him to a pulp. He heard Pansy shriek "Draco no!" and the next thing he knew, he had collided with an invisible wall. He fell to the ground and Pansy ran towards him and helped him up. "What's gotten into you?" she hissed, but Draco ignored her. He stood there, livid, glowering at Potter who was glaring right back.

Ludo Bagman was walking towards the teenagers, his wand still outstretched. "Sorry about that Mr. Malfoy, but we can't have anyone injuring our champion now, can we? I suggest you walk it off, it's just a bump. Are you alright there Harry?"

"Of course he's alright, I barely touched him!" spat Malfoy. "You saw to that!"

"Now see here," began Bagman, but Draco interrupted him.

"This isn't over Potter! You look at my girlfriend like that again and I swear you won't live to see the end of the tournament! And I won't need a wand to do it!" He turned heel and walked away, dragging Pansy along with him. Once they had turned a corner, Pansy wrenched her arm out of his. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Did you not see the way that Potter was staring at you? He looks like he wants nothing more than to fuck your brains out." To his utter surprise, Pansy turned a deep shade of red and avoided his eye. "What?" he asked. "It's true! Why do you think I ran towards him like that? I wanted to knock the stuffing out of him!"

"Use your wand then!"

"No Panse," said Draco. "That won't feel half as good. Maybe it'll cause more damage, but I want to _know_ that it hurts him."

"You are such a jealous pig," she said, and walked away. Draco shook his head and ran to catch up with her.

"Panse, look baby, listen to me. I'm only jealous because I love you. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't protect you?" Pansy sighed.

"Ok, but do remember that I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Don't be so sure," grimaced Draco. "This is Potter we're talking about."

"Right," laughed Pansy. "The famous Harry Potter. I'll keep that in mind the next time I encounter him in a dark alley." She kissed him lightly on the mouth and hugged him, breathing in the faint scent of his perfume.

Draco stroked her long dark hair while mentally making a list of all the possible ways that he could cause Potter lasting harm.

_So now we have a little insight on Malfoy's world, and I just want to say, that I would NOT like to be Harry._ _Speaking of which, what's the deal with him anyway? Stay tuned to find out!_

_P.S. Just thought of something… During Malfoy's POV, should I refer to Hermione as Granger? It sounds really weird though… Even calling Malfoy, Draco sounds weird._

_Oh, on a final note, just because Malfoy isn't very open minded about gay people, doesn't mean I'm not. It's just a story, and I hope that I don't offend anyone._


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER, AND I AM NOT MAKING ANY MONEY OFF THIS PIECE OF WRITING. If I did, I'd be super rich by now._

**Chapter Three**

Hermione stared at the point where Malfoy had disappeared in disbelief. She glanced at Ron, hoping that he could clue her in, but he was looking at confused as she was. They both looked at Harry who was looking unabashed.

"Are you alright Harry?" repeated Bagman.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Don't worry about it. Malfoy can be a bit unstable at times," he said, and walked off in the opposite direction. Ron gave Hermione a quizzical look, and she shrugged.

"Are you sure he's alright?" asked Bagman. "Maybe I could suggest something to help-"

"No, it's alright," said Hermione. "He's probably just a little unsettled that's all." Bagman seemed to believe the lie that had just rolled off her tongue, and he nodded, and left abruptly. Ron and Hermione watched him go, and then ran after Harry.

"What was that all about?" asked Ron, when they caught up with him.

"Who knows? He seems to have lost it," said Harry. Hermione wondered why he wouldn't meet either of their eyes.

"Stop walking so fast!" she said. "Why would he accuse you of looking at Pansy? And what did he mean by 'look at her like that?'"

"I don't know Hermione," said Harry. "Maybe he's seeing things."

"Maybe he's suddenly gotten it into his head that all the blokes who so much as glance at Pansy want to go all the way with her," said Ron.

"It wouldn't be surprising if it were true," said Harry. "That girl is bloody sexy." Hermione's eyes grew as large as saucers, but Ron merely nodded.

"You have a point there." Hermione stopped in her tracks, and the two boys didn't even notice until they had walked a few steps away. "Hey, where's Hermione?"

"I must be hearing things," said Hermione. "You two, of all people are hitting on _Pansy Parkinson_?" Harry and Ron exchanged glances and nodded. Hermione simply stood there, speechless.

"What?" said Ron. "Boys notice things like this Hermione."

"No it's not that, it's just…"

"What?" asked Harry. Hermione just shook her head.

"Pansy Parkinson," she repeated.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," said Ron. The three had resumed walking again, and were now climbing up the marble staircase to Gryffindor Tower.

"No, it's not like that. I mean, yes it is. It is."

"What is?" asked Harry looking confused.

"No," said Hermione. "You need to talk to Parvati and Lavender."

"Why?" asked Harry. Hermione ignored him, but continued to climb the staircase as if her sole purpose in life was to reach the portrait hole.

"Puffskein," said Hermione when they reached the Fat Lady. "There they are. Parvati! Lavender!" she called. Two heads emerged from a sofa in front of one of the fireplaces.

"Yes?" asked Parvati.

"I need you two to explain exactly what Pansy Parkinson _is_ to these two knuckleheads over here."

"I'm sure we all know what she is Hermione," began Ron sitting down on an armchair, but Lavender interrupted him.

"She might seem as pure and innocent to you, but everyone knows she's a total fake."

"I disagree," said Harry. "Pansy Parkinson is the farthest thing from fake that you can ever find."

"What are you talking about?" said Dean Thomas placing himself in the arm of the sofa next to Hermione, while Seamus Finnigan sat on the vacant armchair next to the sofa.

"Pansy Parkinson," said Hermione.

"Oh she's pretty," said Neville, popping out from nowhere.

"She's a ten," said Seamus, while the other boys nodded in agreement.

"You guys aren't getting the concept. Pansy Parkinson is completely fake! Have you any idea how she went from little pug-nosed creature to sexy bitch?" Parvati seemed to find it particularly insulting that all the boys were so enthralled by the girl.

"She grew during the summer?" suggested Dean, to whoops from the rest of the boys. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Oh she grew alright. A new nose, new chest, better body. That girl has spent nearly half her parent's savings at a private hospital in France."

"No she hasn't Hermione," said Ron.

"Yes she has Ronald! Just because you didn't hear it coming out of her mouth doesn't mean it isn't true. All the girls in our year know about it. You can ask anyone, they'll tell you."

"I don't believe you," said Ron. "You're just jealous because Pansy's better looking than you." Parvati and Lavender gasped. Hermione stood up.

"Well, if you really do feel that way, I think you ought to know that she only goes for people with power, which means you have no chance with her, but Harry might." She turned around and left, leaving an uncomfortable silence behind. Parvati and Lavender shook their heads, and glaring at the boys, got up and left as well. They entered the dormitory to find Hermione lying face down on her bed.

"Oh Hermione," said Parvati sitting down at the edge of the bed. "It's going to be ok. It's just a passing phase, he'll come around eventually."

"What if he doesn't?" asked Hermione, her voice muffled by the pillow. "What if he is still obsessed with her next year?"

If any good had come out of Pansy Parkinson's transformation, it was that it had caused the rest of the girls in her year to become closer to each other. Hermione hadn't previously bothered to really get to know her roommates, but when she did, she realised that they weren't as bad as she originally thought they were. Having girlfriends for once had really changed her perspective on a lot of things.

"Well he doesn't deserve you then," said Lavender.

The door suddenly burst open, as Ginny Weasley came flying in.

"My brother just asked me the oddest question. Did Pansy Parkinson really get applied transformation* over the summer?"

"Don't tell anyone," said Lavender. "What did you say to him?"

"I said I didn't know," said Ginny. "And he said he reckons it's something you came up with because you were jealous," she said to Hermione. "Is that what you're discussing right now?"

"Pretty much," said Hermione. "But the bit about her summer project is true. Don't believe Ron."

"I didn't," said Ginny, sitting down on Lavender's bed and looking confused. "But let me get one thing straight. This has been bugging me for ages. If she only turned hot this term, how come Malfoy started going out with her in March?"

"Oh that," said Parvati. "She spikes his breakfast with love potion every few days."

"How do you know that?" asked Ginny. Parvati went over to her trunk.

"This fell out of her bag a couple of months ago. We took great delight in analysing every single little detail inside. It's got some perfectly written out plans, including her idea for a total body transformation during summer. There is a hospital in France dedicated to cosmetic reconstruction. It's costly, but usually worth it, as you can see." She held up a little scarlet book, no bigger than Tom Riddle's diary. Ginny's eyes were as wide as dinner plates. Lavender continued from where Parvati had stopped.

"It also has little reminders to stock up on love potion. It really is too bad that diary doesn't update itself. I'd have really loved to see the rest of her plans."

"I've got an idea," said Ginny. "If all of you hate her so much, why don't you find a way to get back at her?"

"How?" asked Hermione. "I can't really imagine any of us successfully stealing Malfoy away from her. Too much love potion from too many different sources might kill him."

"And besides," said Parvati. "She might move onto Harry. She did fancy him last year."

"Harry would never go out with her," said Hermione. "At least I don't think he will." After the day's events, she didn't know what to expect anymore.

"I think Ginny's got a point here," said Lavender. Everyone looked at her. "Even if she moved on to Harry, I doubt that she'd really be serious about him. From what I can tell from the diary, Malfoy's the one she's serious about. He's the one she's been giving the love potion to anyway." The other girls nodded.

"So, what do you suggest?" asked Hermione.

"Well," said Ginny. "I think that Hermione would be the best candidate for this, because the result would be truly unexpected."

"What do you mean?" asked Parvati. Ginny's eyes gleamed.

"I'm talking about a total makeover," she said. "Top to toe, inside out, leave no stone unturned. You've got the best people for the job right here," she said, gesturing at Parvati and Lavender, who were beginning to look excited. Hermione looked horrified.

"No! I couldn't! There is no way that I could seduce Malfoy! Besides, I won't do it."

"Think about it Nee," said Lavender. "He's the hottest boy in our year! Cedric's probably the only guy who could top him! He's every fourth year girl's fantasy!"

"And a few of the third years too," said Ginny. "Although our Harry fan base is larger."

"What better candidate could there be to make him jealous?" continued Lavender. "He'll come running to you in no time!"

"Who'll come running?" asked Ginny curiously. Hermione shook her head, smiling. Telling Ginny about Ron wasn't something she was ready to do just yet.

"Well, I suppose I could try," she said after a few minutes. "But I'm pretty sure it won't work."

"That's my girl!" said Parvati, ignoring her negative response. "Ok, we need a time for you to debut your new look."

"We'll figure that out later," said Lavender. "First things first. You hair…"

"Sleakeazy's, but you'll have to apply it everyday. We'll use it until we can find something more permanent. Next!"

"No offence darling, but your teeth…"

"Lavender you dingbat!" said Parvati. "Are you really that blind? She's got her teeth straightened since Malfoy's curse hit her!" Lavender and Ginny took a closer look.

"Hey you're right!"

"My parents won't be happy," said Hermione. "They wanted my teeth to be fixed the Muggle way, you know, braces."

"What's that?" asked Lavender.

"They're bits of wire that you wear around your teeth-"

"Why would anyone want to wear wire around their teeth?" asked Parvati looking flabbergasted.

"It's the only way we have to straighten teeth I'm afraid. It's quite normal for Muggles."

"Well," said Lavender. "Now that you've gotten that out of the way we can move on. You've got clear skin, which helps. And you're figure isn't bad either. Could use a little more toning up, but we'll work on that."

Ginny surveyed the group of girls in front of her and rubbed her hands together in anticipation. This was going to be exciting.

_*Applied Transformation= Plastic Surgery._

_Pansy Parkinson's had work done? Wow, that's interesting. I wonder how it's done in the wizarding world…_

_Anyway, will Draco ever find out that he's being deluded? I sure hope so, Pansy's a pig._

_Once again, reviews are very much appreciated. Thanks!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER, AND I AM NOT MAKING ANY MONEY OFF THIS PIECE OF WRITING. _

**Chapter Four**

The next few weeks passed quite peacefully. The Hogwarts students got on well with the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. They were generally spotted on the grounds or in the library, studying constantly, and this prompted a lot of teachers to make their students work a lot harder.

Soon, it was time for the next Hogsmeade weekend. Draco had wanted to spend the entire day with Pansy, but she had an errand to run, but had promised to meet him at The Three Broomsticks for lunch. He dropped her off at Madam Puddifoot's and then proceeded to stroll down the snowy street alone. He walked into the sugary warmth of Honeydukes and browsed though a selection of sweets, wondering what he should buy for Pansy. In the end, he decided on some heart shaped marshmallows which sang 'I love you' in your mouth.

He was at the counter when he caught sight of Granger, Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown looking in his direction and whispering. He frowned and took his package, intending to leave before he became too embarrassed, but found his way blocked by Granger. "May I walk with you?" she asked.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Sure why not?" he said sarcastically, as the pain hit him again. Once it had subsided, he looked at her reprovingly. "Am I right in thinking that if you lose, nothing of the sort will happen to you?"

Granger smiled but didn't reply. They walked out of the shop together, and Draco tried to ignore all the surprised stares that they were receiving. One third year walked into a pole, and his friend fell into a pothole. They still continued to stare as the pair walked off.

"So," asked Draco, as they walked past the pubs and took the path which led to the Shrieking Shack. "Why are you suddenly so interested in walking with me?"

"Oh, no reason," said Granger. "I just wanted to see whether you'd rather take the pain and keep your pride, or not face it and have everyone laugh at you." Draco inhaled slowly and tried not to scream at her.

"You know, if you had perhaps had anything important to say to me, I don't think I would have minded."

"Really?" she asked. Draco nodded.

_Of course I would have minded you filthy Mudblood! Simply being seen around you is bad enough, without having to actually carry out a civilised conversation with you!_

"Wow," said Granger. "You really don't like the pain do you?" Draco shook his head. He had a very low pain threshold, which at times, could be extremely embarrassing. He tried to make up for it by working out in order to become stronger than the rest of the boys, so that he didn't get beaten up at any time.

"Last year, with the Hippogriff, I wasn't faking," he said. "In the beginning anyway," he added. Hermione pursed her lips.

"You tried to get Buckbeak executed for something that wasn't even his fault!"

"What can I say?" said Draco. "I didn't like him."

"Still, you have no right to do something like that."

"As much as you'd like to be right," said Draco holding the railing. "It's human nature. We tend to avoid or eliminate things we don't like, unless it's impossible. Like now," he said, looking at her.

"You know you can leave whenever you want to," she said. "All you have to do is say you have to leave."

"I have to leave," said Draco promptly. Granger laughed.

"I don't want you to." Draco sighed and leaned against the railing again. It had started to snow, and his gloves were already covered in glittering snowflakes.

"Why are you doing this Granger?" he asked, feeling a prickle of pain in his abdomen. "I mean Hermione."

She was rather taken aback by the use of her first name. "Doing what?"

"This bet. Why did you agree?"

"I wanted to prove you wrong," she said staring straight into his eyes. "You act like you're so great all the time, I just wanted you to know that there are other people who are worth it too."

"Well you don't act too modest either," said Draco. "Maybe all of you might have gotten it into your head that we are the villains, but on this side of the fence, you aren't too pious."

Granger chuckled softly, her breath steaming up in front of her. "Can we call this jealousy?"

"I suppose so," he said.

Granger sighed. "You know, you aren't so bad I guess. Even though it took a jinx to prove it, it's nice to know that you can have a civilised conversation with someone that you hate." Draco shrugged. She continued. "I hate to be the one to tell you this, but your girlfriend might not be what she seems."

Draco looked at her, confused. "What do you mean by that?"

"Do you really love her Draco? I mean really?"

"Yes I do," he said. "I love her with every fibre of my being, and being away from her, even for a moment, hurts more than your stupid, ow, jinx."

"How did you fall in love with her?" she prompted.

"Well, I suddenly began to notice things about her. She might have not been as pretty back then, but she definitely had a personality to make up for it."

"I distinctly remember you calling her an annoying little pug during second year."

"I was talking to Goyle!" he retorted. "And besides, once I started paying proper attention to her, I realised that there was more to her than I had first seen."

"Have you ever considered the fact that she might be slipping you a little something during breakfast?"

"Aside from kisses, no," said Draco. "What are you trying to say? She's giving me love potion?" Granger merely nodded, and Draco burst out laughing. "That is the most ridiculous thing that I have ever heard! Love potion, my arse!"

"Thanks," she said. "That's all I needed to know. You can go now." She left Draco by the railing looking extremely bewildered. Then he realised that he was late for Pansy.

"Stupid Mudblood," he thought. "Love potion indeed!" He trudged through the snow, eager to get into the Three Broomsticks and out of the cold. As soon as he walked inside, he ordered two Butterbeers, and looked around for Pansy. She didn't seem to have arrived yet, so he decided to wait for her. He sipped his Butterbeer and watched as people came in, and went out of the pub. He saw Granger come in with Patil and Brown, and wondered where Weasley and Potter were. As he slowly became aware of most of the females in the building staring at him, he immersed himself in his drink, and then proceeded to finish Pansy's as well. He wished that he'd chosen a table in the corner; this was embarrassing.

Once he'd finished his drink, he stood up and left. Hurt and confused, he walked through the snow, and headed back to school. Slowly, he walked down towards the common room, earning a reproving stare from Mrs. Norris. "What?" he said. "Is it a crime to be back early?"

He lay on his bed for about an hour, wondering why Pansy had stood him up like that. When he heard his roommates outside the door, he closed the curtains around his bed.

"What's wrong with you?" asked Theodore.

"Stomach ache," he replied instantly. He thought he heard Blaise and Theodore snigger, and he couldn't understand why they, as his closest friends, would take pleasure in his pain.

"Are you sure?" asked Blaise. "Someone told us that Pansy stood you up." Draco didn't reply. The curtain's were pulled back, and Draco squinted in the sudden light.

"Yeah she stood me up but that doesn't prove anything!" he said. "She might have been held up somewhere or something of the sort!"

"Or she might have just stood you up," said Blaise, cutting smoothly through Draco's ranting. "Tough luck mate."

"Is she back yet?" asked Draco, sitting up. Blaise and Theodore looked at each other and shrugged.

"Dunno," said Theodore. "Hey, where are you going?"

"I need to find her!" Draco walked straight out of the dormitory and rushed towards Daphne Greengrass, who was walking with her sister Astoria. "Have you seen Pansy?" he demanded.

"The last time I saw her she was at Honeydukes," said Daphne looking terrified. "That was just before we left." Draco rushed out of the common room, intending to find Pansy and force the truth out of her. He was barrelling down the corridor that led towards the Entrance Hall when he crashed into someone and fell on top of her.

"What's the hurry Malfoy?" said Granger. Draco stood up and helped her to her feet before the pain could hit him again. Patil and Brown glared at him.

"Sorry, I need to find Pansy."

"Well you're in luck," she said breathlessly. "There she is now."

"Where were you?" she asked, rushing inside. "I was waiting for you at the Three Broomsticks for _ages_ and you never showed!" Draco suddenly felt relieved, but then he frowned.

"I was only late by five minutes. That's hardly ages."

"We promised to meet up at half past one," she said. "I waited till two!"

"I was there by twenty-five to," he said grimly. "I remember perfectly well. Maybe your watch is fast."

"Well maybe yours is slow," she retorted. "Next time, try and be on time!" She walked off, the pink paper bag in her hand swinging.

"You weren't there!" he shouted. "I waited for a whole hour!" She ignored him and kept on walking. For the first time since their relationship began, Draco felt rather annoyed with her. "Wasn't my bloody fault," he muttered, and realised that the girls were still standing exactly where they had been when he had knocked Hermione down. "What are you looking at?" he said, and walked back towards the common rooms.

He distinctly heard Granger say, "It must be wearing off," before he went down the stairs.

_The potion's wearing off? Pansy better hurry if she wants to keep her man… Speaking of which, where did she disappear off to anyway?_

_Oh, and it's still a little slow, but Dramione will come soon. Just give it time. Please review =)_


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER, AND I AM NOT MAKING ANY MONEY OFF THIS PIECE OF WRITING._

_I've been struck with a case of writer's block, and just about managed to crank this out, so I'm sorry if it isn't that good..._

**Chapter Five**

Hermione came into the dormitory and sat on her bed. She just stared at the ceiling, and soon enough, Parvati and Lavender looked up from their magazines and turned their attention to her.

"Did you leave your brain in the library Hermione?" asked Parvati.

"I'm not sure," said Hermione. "I don't really know what happened."

Parvati and Lavender looked at each other and leapt onto Hermione's bed at the same time. She squealed in shock. "Start talking," said Lavender.

"Well I was in the library, trying to look up antidotes-"

"Snape finished that topic three weeks ago," said Parvati.

"I know that," said Hermione. "I was looking up antidotes for love potions."

"Oh," said Parvati. "Did you find any?"

"A few, but that's not the point."

"Then what is?" asked Lavender.

"Will you let me finish without interrupting?" said Hermione a little loudly. "Sorry," she said, seeing the expressions on their faces. "Anyway, I was looking up antidotes for love potions when Krum came up to me."

"Again?" asked Parvati. "What did he want this time?"

"Actually, this time around he wasn't asking about where he could find a book," said Hermione. "He said hello, and I said hello, and he asked me what I was doing, and I told him that I was doing some research for Potions, and we just started talking from there and then, the subject of the Yule Ball came up, and he asked me if I wanted to go with him."

Parvati and Lavender shrieked, and Hermione turned red. "Did you say yes? Oh my god, if you didn't I swear Hermione Jean Granger, I will rip your guts out-"

"Relax Parvati," said Hermione, still blushing. "I said I'd go with him. I'm meeting him at the ship and we're going in together."

"Oh my god, that's even better than Malfoy!" said Lavender, as Ginny walked in.

"What's even better than Malfoy?"

"Krum of course!" said Lavender. "He just asked Hermione to the Yule Ball."

Ginny's reaction was a subdued version of Parvati's and Lavender's. "Viktor Krum asked you to the ball?"

"Yeah," said Hermione, turning red again.

"There's no time to waste then!" said Ginny. "We need to start preparing!" Hermione watched her friends chatter excitedly and smiled to herself. The excited babble was interrupted by an irritated tapping at the window. The girls turned around to find an eagle owl flapping it's wings outside the window, trying valiantly not to get blown away by the wind. Hermione recognized it as belonging to Malfoy, and opened the window, wondering why he'd be sending a letter to a Gryffindor. For a second, she thought the owl had misheard his directions, but it dropped a scroll into her hands and Hermione saw her name written on it in small but neat handwriting, not unlike her own. The owl flew away, and she shut the window.

"Who's that from?" asked Lavender.

"Professor Snape," said Hermione. "He wants to discuss my essay." Professor Snape was the codename that the three of them had given Malfoy. Hermione had told them about the bet, and how, if she succeeded, would probably end up making Ron jealous, which was exactly what she was going for.

"Why?" asked Ginny. Hermione shrugged.

"I'll be right back," she said. Putting on her gloves and cloak, she went out of the dormitory. She stepped out of the portrait hole and bumped into something invisible. "Hi Harry," she said, and went down the stairs, thinking about where it was that Harry had snuck off to this time. She walked down the Entrance Hall, wondering why Malfoy wanted to talk to her of all people. She slipped out of the door, and then realised that it could very well be a trap. After all, Malfoy's eagle owl wasn't the only one of it's kind in the school.

She stood on the steps and pondered on whether to go or not. Well I won't find out anything if I don't go, she thought, and headed towards the greenhouses.

To her surprise, and to a certain extent relief, she saw Malfoy standing by the door. "So it was you," she said. He didn't reply. Instead, he just opened the door and motioned for her to go inside. "What do you want?" she asked.

"I think girls generally talk about things like this amongst themselves, so I thought I'd ask you, instead of anyone else."

"Why?" asked Hermione. "What happened to girl's from your own house? Daphne, Millicent and Pansy all have tongues." Malfoy ignored her.

"I want to know whether Pansy's seeing someone else." Hermione frowned.

"Not that I know of, but it wouldn't surprise me."

"She's seeing someone else. I know she is!" The obsessive demeanour that Hermione had learnt to associate with Malfoy when it came to matters regarding his girlfriend was unfortunately back. It wasn't as bad during the last Hogsmeade weekend where he had gotten stood up. She supposed that Pansy must have stocked up on the potion and had resumed giving it to him.

"Well do you want someone to find out for you?" asked Hermione.

"Now you know why I came to you," said Malfoy. "If I'd gone to any of the other Slytherin girls, they would have told Pansy immediately."

"Yes but why me?" asked Hermione. "You could have gone for any other pureblood." It pained her to say it, but she knew it was true.

"Yes but I don't talk to any of the other girls," replied Malfoy. "Besides, Patil and Brown are gossips, Bones, and Abbott wouldn't know where to start, and Patil number two and Turpin wouldn't bother."

"Why should I bother either?" asked Hermione. "It's not like you're nice to me voluntarily." Malfoy was silent for a while. Hermione sighed and muttered an expletive under her breath. "I'll think about it," she said.

"Ok," said Malfoy. Hermione shook her head. Before she was going to get started on anything, she was going to find a way to stop Pansy from spiking his breakfast every morning. How to do it was the mystery.

Once she was back in her dormitory, she found that Ginny was gone. "What did he want?" asked Lavender.

Hermione explained everything. "We need to find a way to get Malfoy off the potion," she finished.

"Well, you could ask him to not have breakfast in the Great Hall," suggested Parvati. "But then she'd find another way to give it to him."

"I think our best option is the antidote," said Hermione. "Problem is, it takes a while. Not as long as Polyjuice, but if I start right now, I think I'd be able to get it done by late January."

"That's much to long," said Lavender. "Why don't you ask someone whether they have any antidote? A teacher, I mean."

"Oh, I can just see her now," said Parvati. "Going up to McGonagall or Snape and just expecting to be given an antidote without any questions."

"Moody!" exclaimed Hermione. Parvati and Lavender looked at her.

"Really Hermione?" said Parvati.

"Yes! He'll probably have loads of antidotes on him, along with his paranoia of being poisoned and all. And I don't really think he'll ask too many questions. At least I hope he won't."

"Well what are you waiting for?" asked Lavender. "Go find him!"

"Come with me!" she said, pulling them to their feet. The three girls raced downstairs, earning odd stares from the rest of the house.

"What's the hurry?" shouted Dean.

They ran towards Professor Moody's office, just in time to see him enter his office. "Professor Moody!" He stopped and turned around with a confused expression on his face. "Professor," gasped Hermione. "Would you by any chance happen to have an antidote for a love potion with you?"

"Inside I suppose," growled Moody. "Come in, I'll see what I can do. Who is this for may I ask?"

"Oh, it's for a friend of mine," said Hermione. Moody turned around, both eyes focusing on her.

"Not Potter I hope."

"Oh no sir. He's not in Gryffindor."

"I see," he said, walking towards his trunk. Hermione had the distinct feeling that his magical eye was still on her, and she shuddered.

"Do you have any idea how long the potion has been kept for?" asked Moody, searching inside the trunk.

"I'm not entirely sure sir," said Hermione. "But I know that he's been given regular doses of it."

"Well then," said Moody straightening up with a large glass bottle in his hands. "You're going to need every last drop. He'll have to take it for two weeks straight." Hermione stared at the bottle.

"Sir, are you sure it's alright for me to just take your entire stash of antidote?"

"Who said this was all I had?" said Moody. "Now run along, I happen to be very busy at the moment." He took a swig out of his hip flask and waved them away.

"Thanks you sir," said Hermione, before the door shut in her face. "I think that went well," she said, turning to the other two. "At least he'll be a little better by the time the ball rolls around."

"How are you going to get it to him?" asked Parvati. Hermione shrugged.

"I'll figure something out."

_Ok, so we've got Hermione on the case now. Maybe Malfoy's future isn't so bleak after all. Pansy better watch out, because all her well laid out plans are about to start unravelling at her feet._

_I wonder how things will turn out with Krum…_

_Reviews are much appreciated XD_


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER, AND I AM NOT MAKING ANY MONEY OFF THIS PIECE OF WRITING._

_A/N: Something I don't think I've done, but THANKS SO MUCH for all the reviews. You guys really keep me motivated to write more._

**Chapter Six**

The next morning, Draco woke up to a loud tapping against the window above his head. He looked behind him to find a barn owl perched on the snowy ledge, impatiently tapping the window with it's beak.

"What the hell?" said Blaise groggily. "What's the time?"

"Go back to sleep," said Draco, sitting up and opening the window. The bird flew onto his bed. He took the package off it's leg and read the note that came with it.

_ONLY because I want to see her go down._

Granger, he thought, as he unwrapped the package. Inside, he found a small vial of clear potion. He frowned and looked back at the note.

_One vial a day, and maybe you'll see things in a clearer light._

What's that supposed to mean? he thought. For all I know, this might be poison. The owl began pecking his hand. "Ow!" he said. "Get off me you stupid bird!" The owl kept pecking him, only pausing to push the vial closer to him. He grabbed his wand and shot a jinx at it. The owl screeched and flew off, but not before presenting him with a few more pecks aimed at his face.

Later, as the fourth-formers all waited outside the dungeon, he strode up to her. "What the hell was that?" he asked.

"You didn't drink it did you?" she said, eyeing his injuries sceptically. Draco gave her a look of contempt.

"Why should I? How do I know that you're not trying to poison me?"

Granger rolled her eyes. "First you ask me for help, now you refuse to accept it. How do you expect to get anything done?"

Draco glared at her. "What is that potion exactly?"

"It'll help you find out what your girlfriend is really up to."

"And how does that work exactly?"

"You'll see," she said. "Oh and don't accept any food she gives you."

"Why?"

"Because then the potion won't have any effect."

"Draco! Why are you talking to the Mudblood?" Pansy's shrill accusation rang through the hollow dungeon. Draco looked around to find everyone staring at them.

"It doesn't matter," he said, walking up to her, instantly feeling calmer now that she was here. "I've missed you." She smiled and kissed him.

"Mr Malfoy, Miss Parkinson. If you would like to walk into class now, you are more than welcome." Draco and Pansy broke apart to find Professor Snape staring at them. They hurried in with a quick apology. Draco took a seat next to Pansy. All though Professor Snape's explanation, he focused his attention solely on his girlfriend, and wished that he had skipped class. All his grades had plummeted since he started dating her and his father was extremely disappointed with him, but he didn't give a rat's fart about school anymore. Pansy was everything.

During break, he dragged her off to an empty classroom. After an extremely heated session, where Draco gained a few more injuries in the form of scratches on his back, she dressed quickly and ran off to Divination. Draco hurried off to Arithmancy and walked in just as the bell rang. "You're late Mr Malfoy," said Professor Vector reprovingly. He remained silent and sat down next to Theodore.

"Been shagging Parkinson again?" asked the dark haired boy. Draco sighed and leaned back in his chair. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Granger throw a reproving glance in his direction, but ignored her, choosing instead, to daydream about his girlfriend. When the bell rang, he hurried down the corridor, eager to get to her, but found himself being stopped by Granger. Before he could grasp what was happening, she forced his mouth open and poured something down his throat. Draco coughed and spluttered and he felt a slight burn, but it disappeared relatively quickly.

"What the hell was that Granger?" he asked. She glared at him.

"Since you wouldn't take the potion voluntarily, my only option was to force you. And I'm going to keep on forcing you until it takes effect." Draco shook his head.

"You really hate Pansy don't you?" Granger merely walked away, without a word. Draco stood still for a few seconds, trying to remember where he was supposed to be going. When he remembered, he headed off to Charms, cursing the fact that Granger had now made him late. He muttered an apology to Professor Flitwick before sliding into his seat next to his girlfriend.

"What happened baby?" asked Pansy, leaning towards him and kissing him on the cheek. Draco was surprised to find that he didn't feel as happy as he use to at the contact. On the contrary, a tiny flicker of annoyance rushed through him.

"Held up by Granger again," he said, trying to listen to Professor Flitwick as he began to explain how to perform a Banishing Charm. Pansy's expression grew serious, and she drew away from him and was quiet for the rest of the lesson. Draco found that he didn't mind much; it was easier for him to concentrate.

The rest of the day passed quickly and quietly. When it was time for dinner, he was halfway towards the great hall before he remembered Granger's instructions. He stood in the middle of the crowd, unsure of where to go.

"Are you just going to stand there?" asked Blaise. Draco shook his head and walked into the Hall. He ate his dinner in relative silence, and trudged down to the Slytherin common room. When he reached his dormitory, he found Pansy waiting for him, wearing nothing but her underwear. Instantly forgetting about everything that had happened that day, he took off his robes and approached her slowly, savouring the moment.

_Sorry for the short chapter… I wrote the beginning a while ago, and when I continued, it felt kinda detached, so I decided to end it quickly. I'll try to make up for it in the next one. Once again, reviews are greatly appreciated, as is constructive criticism._


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER, AND I AM NOT MAKING ANY MONEY OFF THIS PIECE OF WRITING._

_And the argument between Ron and Hermione is based on J.K Rowling's version of events, so I can't take any credit for that part. Also, since this fic is set in GOF, a lot of other things such as the Yule Ball, Triwizard Tournament, kissing couples in the bushes and Krum asking Hermione out are J.K.R's as well, so those are parts I can't take any credit for._

**Chapter Seven**

After Pansy's sneak attack on her that caused her to develop a nasty case of pimples in front of her entire Transfiguration class, Hermione vowed to make sure that Malfoy learnt the truth. She found that he wasn't too keen on listening to her, and had to force the potion down his throat everyday, although it was getting harder to find him, despite the bigger doses she had been giving him.

Desperate times called for desperate measures, and despite her S.P.E.W campaign, she asked Dobby very nicely if he would mind trailing after Draco to see if his food was uncontaminated. It seemed to be working, because, as the Yule Ball grew closer, Malfoy seemed to grow more distant with Pansy.

On the evening of the ball, Hermione, with the help of her two excited roommates, managed to tame her bushy hair. It took three hours and she was undeniably pleased with the end result. Once she got dressed, she slipped out of the common room, undetected.

She met Krum by the ship. He was dressed in deep red robes, and smiled slightly as she approached. "You look beautiful," he said. She blushed deeply. Krum was very flattering.

"Thank you," she said. "You don't look to bad yourself."

"Shall we get a move on?" asked Karkaroff. The Durmstrang procession made their way towards the front doors, Hermione and Krum in the lead. When they made their entrance, Hermione looked around nervously, noticing many jealous looks thrown in her direction. She passed Harry, who was with Parvati, but he didn't seem to recognise her. She snuck a peek at Pansy and Malfoy. Pansy's mouth dropped wide open, and Malfoy just stared. Hermione found herself growing rather uncomfortable, especially as he passed and whispered, "Looking good Granger." She had no idea what it was that made him do that, or why she found herself so embarrassed by the comment.

Dinner passed much too fast and soon enough, the time to dance came. She wasn't particularly pleased with the idea of dancing in front of so many people, and when she glanced at Harry with Parvati, she knew that he wasn't having much fun either. She was glad when the first dance ended, but Krum insisted that they dance again, and she was too polite to decline. In the end, after dancing three dances in total with him, she finally managed to get him to stop by telling him that she was tired. She made her way through the crowd and headed over to where Ron was sitting. "Where's Harry?" she asked.

"No idea? Shouldn't you be looking for Krum?" Hermione frowned.

"He's gone to get drinks for us."

"Well I won't take up any more of your time," he said with a surly look on his face. He made as if to get up and walk away, but Hermione grabbed his arm.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked. "Why are you acting so strangely?"

"Why are you here with Krum?" he shot back.

"He asked me to come with him. I couldn't very well refuse, could I?"

"He's from _Durmstrang_ Hermione!" said Ron heatedly.

"So?" she retorted. "I can still socialise with him can't I? I don't see you having a go at Davies for going with Fleur." Ron shook his head and gave her a withering glance.

"I bet you've been helping him out with his clue," he said.

"Why in the world would I do that?" she said. "I want Harry to win, not him!"

"The only reason he wants to be with you is because he needs help on the clue! Anyone with half a brain can see that!"Tears welled up in Hermione's eyes.

"You are so pathetic!" she screamed, and flounced off. She headed outside and sat down on a bench, tears now flowing freely down her face. She was so dejected that she didn't notice the couple in the bush behind her, until one of them said something that sounded very familiar to Hermione.

Hermione frowned and turned around. The pair seemed very busy. She stood up, just as the voice said, "Let's go somewhere a little roomier."

Not wanting to seem as if she was eavesdropping, Hermione ran behind a pillar. She peeked out to see who the mystery couple was. A dark haired girl with pink robes was leading a very familiar raven-haired boy out of the bushes. He was dressed in bottle green robes, and when the moonlight illuminated their faces, Hermione gasped in shock.

"My reaction exactly," said a low voice behind her. Hermione turned back to find Malfoy staring at the couple with distaste.

"You knew about this?" she said. "When? And why didn't you tell me?"

"That Potter was shagging my girlfriend? Please Granger. If I'd told you, you'd have made the whole thing worse." Hermione glared at him.

"How so?" she snapped.

"You've been crying," he said. It was not said out of concern; merely an observation.

"What's it to you?" she asked, sniffing.

"Well, if my sources are correct, I think I can assume that this is Weasley's fault." A lump rose in Hermione's throat at the sound of Ron's name.

"He's a pig," she said.

"And my girlfriend is a whore," he sighed. "Perhaps you'll consider joining forces?" he said.

Hermione simply stared at him. Draco sighed again and shook his head. "Shall we walk?" She nodded, and wiped her eyes.

"I've been planning this for a while now," he said. "Ever since you gave me the antidote, I've been seeing things in a new light. Pansy still thinks that I'm under her spell, even though I haven't eaten in the Great Hall for over two weeks. Once I found out that she was shagging Potter however, I knew that I couldn't let her get away with it. There was no way that I could live with the humiliation of knowing that someone actually managed to delude me. No one fools Draco Malfoy," he finished, rather breathlessly. Hermione just stared.

"Where do I come in?" she asked finally. "And why me?"

"Always with the questions. A little patience wouldn't hurt, Granger. And if I were you, I would choose my friends a little more carefully." Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"I know Harry and Ron have been prats but-"

"Not Potty and Weasel," he said, looking slightly exasperated. "Patil and Brown. The biggest gossips in school? And they call you the smart one."

Hermione's insides turned to ice, and her breathing became shallow. "How much do you know?"

"A fair bit. I find that Slytherin girls can be easily persuaded." Hermione looked at him.

"What did they tell you?" Draco smirked and began a long rant.

"You accepted the bet to make Weasley jealous. The only reason you were helping me was to get close to me for the same reason. You accepted Krum's request for the same reason. You were in love with Potter in our first year. You do consider me attractive. You wear pyjamas with teddy bears on them when you go to sleep. You-"

SMACK!

"What was that for?" asked Malfoy, holding his hand to his face. His cheek was stinging quite badly; it was the second time that Hermione had hit him that year.

"Shut up!" she said, her face red.

"Well, at least now I can be certain that you'll be willing to do what I say."

Hermione felt like slapping him again. I hate you Draco Malfoy. The sight of you makes me sick. You are the most arrogant little twerp-

"Granger! Are you listening?" Hermione shook her head as if to clear it.

"What?"

"You're going to help me get back at Pansy for what she did to me. Oh, but first, you have to take the jinx off me."

"You idiot! Haven't you noticed? It's worn off already! You've just threatened me with blackmail, and nothing has happened!"

"Oh," said Malfoy, blinking rather foolishly. "Well anyway, you are going to help me, and you are going to do exactly as I say. Firstly, I'd rather you looked like you do now all the time. That hair of yours is terribly unattractive. Secondly, you have to change your attitude. No more of that jumping around in class, answering all the questions. From now on, you will speak when spoken to. You will be aloof, mysterious, and alluring."

"In other words, a female version of you," said Hermione disgustedly.

"That's about it yes."

"Never," said Hermione, and walked away. Malfoy sighed.

"Don't blame me when everyone knows about Weasel tomorrow!" Hermione stopped in her tracks.

"You wouldn't."

"I would." He smirked and drew closer. "All the girls in our year know already, and it would be too simple to have them spread the news to some of the boys." Hermione shivered. "So I suggest that if you don't want the object of your affections finding out about your secret love for him, you do as I say. Now follow me. I'll give you your instructions, and we will begin your training tomorrow."

He walked off and Hermione trailed behind him, feeling more miserable than she could ever remember feeling. She realised that her plan was falling apart at her feet. Ron wasn't speaking to her, her roommates couldn't be trusted, and Harry…

She didn't even want to think about it. As she stood alone in the Entrance Hall, she began thinking about Malfoy's plan. If he managed to transform her into someone that everyone would envy, perhaps it would help her get back at certain people.

And maybe, just maybe, Ron would come to his senses.

She shivered in the sudden gust of wind that came in from the door as Snape walked in. He ignored her, and headed downstairs. Not long after, Malfoy came back up.

"Read this tonight, and meet me in Classroom Eleven tomorrow. We'll carry on from there." He left abruptly and Hermione bit her lip, wondering what she had gotten herself into.

_Ok, this chapter sees the arrival of OOC Hermione, who's slightly pathetic and too quiet in my opinion. Canon Hermione wouldn't have given a damn if threatened with blackmail. _

_Oh well, it's all in the name of creativity._

_Draco's a total dick here._


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER, AND I AM NOT MAKING ANY MONEY OFF THIS PIECE OF WRITING._

**Chapter Eight:**

Draco stared out of the window in the large, empty classroom on the ground floor. After realising that Pansy had been giving him love potion, he had felt terribly humiliated, that he vowed never to rest until he had gotten revenge on her. He pondered on how best to do it for days, and was just about to resort to hexing her when he overheard Daphne and Millicent talking about Granger, and how she was using him as a ploy to make Weasley jealous. He interrogated them thoroughly, and after getting all the information he needed, he proceeded to put his plan into action.

Remaking Granger was what it was all about. He was going to make her lose her identity, because no one used Draco Malfoy for anything.

Then there was Potter, but Draco supposed he would have enough grief when his best friend and his lover both deserted him at once.

He heard the door open behind him as someone entered the gloomy room. "Close the door Granger," he said. She shut the door and stood behind him silently. He turned around. The first thing he noticed about her was her hair; it was back to normal again. He shook his head and walked towards the table, where he had kept the bag. He took out an opaque blue bottle and handed it to her. "Sit," he instructed. "This is Madam Lafarge's Super Shine potion. It's much more permanent than Sleakeazy's and it's much faster. You put that in your hair, and follow the instructions at the back of the bottle. There is an incantation you will need to say, along with a few other things." Granger placed the bottle back on the table.

"What else?" she asked politely. Draco was rather taken aback. He expected her to be sullen and mean, but instead, she seemed to have decided to go along with his plan.

"You're smarter than I thought you were Granger," he said. She smiled indulgently.

"Perhaps I am," she said. Draco frowned. Something wasn't quite right, but he passed it off as paranoia. Later, if he had the time, he would interrogate her about it.

"Alright. Now for the next step. You will need to be a lot more subdued in class. Answers must be given lazily, as if you're bored with the entire thing. No more furiously taking notes: invest in a Note-Taking quill if you must, or lean back and write down a few points. When people talk to you, don't tell them your life story. A simple one word answer will do just fine."

"What if the question requires a long answer?"

"Then restrict it to a sentence," said Draco impatiently pacing up and down in front of her. Granger rolled her eyes. "Smiles must be rare, and dazzling. Observe Fleur Delecour. She for one has mastered that skill."

"She's part Veela idiot."

"Even so."

"Just one question Malfoy," she said, interrupting him as he was about to continue. "How does this help you to get back at Pansy?"

"Another thing. Lay off the questions. I'm getting there." She rolled her eyes.

"Moving on," he said. "I'll drop subtle hints that I'm seeing someone else. Pansy will go on the rampage sooner or later. I'm giving her till late January. Then she'll begin to shy away from Potter and hang around me more. This is when we reveal that it's you."

"But I'm not _actually _going to be with you anytime before that am I?" asked Granger. Draco was silent. "No!" she exclaimed. "I'd rather have Ron know about my silly plan than kiss you!"

"Contradicting ourselves are we?" asked Draco. "If I remember correctly, it was you and not Longbottom who said that I would have to kiss you if Potter won the tournament."

"So your plan is to make everyone spread rumours about you and me, and have your girlfriend find out that they're true."

"Precisely, because a simple breakup won't hurt her as much."

Granger shook her head. "Wow, you really are hell bent on revenge aren't you?" Draco shrugged.

"You may leave now," he said, turning towards the window again. Granger stood up, but didn't move.

"I'm going to ask you one last time Malfoy. Why me?"

Draco remained silent. A minute later, he heard her walk out slowly and shut the door. Her words rang in her head as he began pacing the room again.

Why Granger? It was a perfectly reasonable question. But now that he'd thought about it, he realised that he'd known that she was the one Pansy hated the most, especially now, since she'd managed to get Krum's attention as well. She was also the one no one would expect, which would mean that speculation would run wild before the truth came out. And that was exactly how Draco liked it. He also wanted to get back at her for using him to make Weasley jealous.

It was also because of the fact that out of the Golden Trio, Granger was the one that intrigued him the most. Weasel was easy to read; he wore his heart on his sleeve. Potter was slightly harder, but then again, he was Potter. Angst ridden, famous, able to get away with anything, how Draco hated him. But Granger… Underneath her bookworm exterior, Draco knew, lay someone else. That was the only reason why she would have agreed with him, he mused. Otherwise, she would have let him get on with it, because for the Trio, everything was always happily ever after anyway. She must have known something he didn't. He was determined to find out what.

Draco walked out of the class and saw Blaise and Theodore walking down the corridor. He didn't bother to ask them to wait for him. He'd been feeling a little left out of the group lately, and wondered why they were being so secretive. Perhaps it was because he himself was skulking around a lot on his own lately, but that shouldn't have stopped his friends from hanging out with him.

Should it have?

_Slightly crappy, this chapter is just a little filler I guess. I might not be updating for a while because of exams and other silly things which take up too much time which could otherwise be used for more interesting things but anyway, I'll try to crank something out by early June if I can, possibly earlier if I'm lucky. In the meantime, feel free to read, review, give constructive criticism and also contribute any ideas, because stress makes the imagination fizzle out a bit. =)_


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER, AND I AM NOT MAKING ANY MONEY OFF THIS PIECE OF WRITING. _

Hermione shut the classroom door quietly and walked quickly down the corridor. Ginny was waiting in her dormitory. "What did he say?" she asked, as soon as Hermione entered.

Hermione placed the bottle and its instruction sheet on the nightstand and sat down on the bed. The previous night, she had rushed into the common room crying, and had bumped into Ginny on her way up the stairs. Before she knew it, everything was spilling out. The girls talked until Parvati and Lavender came in, and Hermione had promised to continue the following day. She was glad that she'd finally told her about it, and wondered why she hadn't done it sooner.

"Madam Lafarge's?" said Ginny with a frown, once Hermione had finished. "That stuff changes your hair colour permanently."

"What?"

"Yeah it does," said Ginny, unscrewing the cap and sniffing it tentatively. "A cousin of mine used it ages ago and went from golden blonde to dishwater, _and_ her hair went all frizzy. It was quite sad really. But I've heard that they've fixed it, or tried to at least, and all it does now is change the colour."

"But I like my hair colour."

"We'll find a way to get around this. I don't know any other products that are permanent, but I assume that some foreign brands are good, but expensive."

"We'll leave that for now," said Hermione. "Do you really think I should go along with it? I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"

"Ron would never speak to you again?" suggested Ginny. Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Sorry," she said. "But that _is_ the worst case scenario, and our plan is to avoid that."

"What do you propose we do then?" Hermione could see Ginny getting excited, a mood characterized by a small grin and a widening of the eyes.

"The perfect way to get back at Malfoy for all of this would be to get him to fall in love with you." Hermione's jaw fell open.

"Excuse me? Have ferret face fall in love with me? I'm sorry Gin, but that's never going to happen. Any other ideas?"

"It's ingenious!" exclaimed Ginny, ignoring Hermione completely. "You get to get back at Malfoy for threatening you by embarrassing him worse than Professor Moody did, have Parvati, Lavender _and_ Pansy all jealous of you,and, you'll get to keep the secret! You're killing three birds with one stone! And of course, there's still the bet. Harry's going to win anyway, so you've got ultimate power!"

"Ginny!" said Hermione for the fifth time. The redhead stopped. "I'm sorry?"

"I can't do it."

"Why not? You're Hermione Granger, you can do anything!"

"Not this," said Hermione. "I might be a know it all, but when it comes to social interactions, I'm just as bad as Harry is in Divination."

"I'll help you. Come on Hermione, trust me on this one."

"That might be a little hard since the last two people I trusted were worse than bags of sand with holes in them."

"Please Hermione? I'm not like them. You know that. Those two are nothing but gossips, but I'm pretty concerned if you ask me."

"About what? Me or your brother." Ginny's expression became grim.

"Fine. If you want it to be that way, don't bother asking me for anymore help," she said coolly and walked out. Hermione watched her leave and put her head in her hands. Everything was going from bad to worse.

She walked down the stairs, intending on going for a walk, but bumped into Harry. "Hey, hey, where are you going?" he said when she walked past without a word.

"For a walk." She heard footsteps behind her.

"I'll come with you." Hermione shrugged, but didn't say anything. They stepped out of the portrait hole together.

"What's wrong Hermione?" asked Harry, when they were halfway down the staircase. "You haven't said a word to me all this time."

"What would you do Harry," she said on a sudden impulse. "If you realised that two people you thought you could trust the most were actually the people you could trust the least. If you suddenly found yourself feeling completely confused as to what to do with someone who was blackmailing you. If you found yourself scared to death of the idea of someone you liked finding out about it." Harry looked at her blankly.

"Ok, I didn't understand a word of that." Hermione chuckled humourlessly.

"Sorry, I was just venting," she said. They walked across the grounds in silence or a little while longer.

"Someone's blackmailing you?" said Harry, the sentence finally registering in his mind.

"No," said Hermione. "Never mind Harry, I've just got a lot on my plate right now. How are you doing with the egg?"

"It's fine, but Hermione, I think I should know if something is going on. You can trust me." Hermione turned around and stared into his emerald green eyes.

'Can I?' she thought. 'Can I really?'

"It's Malfoy," she said finally. "He's going to spread a rumour about me, and I'd really prefer it if he didn't." The minute the words were out of her mouth, she knew that she'd made a huge mistake. Harry for one knew that she didn't care about rumours. He'd know she was lying.

"Well," he said with a sigh. "If it's Malfoy you're dealing with, I suggest you come up with something to embarrass him so badly that he'll never bother you again. Like turning him into a ferret."

"But I have no idea how to do human transfiguration, and even if I did, I would never do that."

"I dunno, you'll find a way. You're Hermione aren't you?" She smiled.

"That's what everyone says."

"Because it's true," said Harry, looking at his watch. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm late."

"What for?"

"Uh, Hagrid asked me to drop by."

"I'll go with you," she said.

"Oh, no it's ok. He said it was something private."

Hermione could read Harry just as well as he could read her, and she could tell that he was lying to her face. Feeling hurt, she let it drop. "I'll see you later," she waved, and walked through the snow, back into the castle. She went back to her dormitory to find Parvati and Lavender chatting animatedly on their beds. "Hey," they both said at the same time. Hermione smiled, while trying to fight the urge to hex the both of them for being so two faced. She walked over to her bed. "Is that Madam Lafarge's?" asked Lavender. Hermione nodded.

"Are you planning on using it?" said Parvati.

"Maybe."

"Well, this seems like the latest one, and from what I've been hearing, all it does is darken your hair, so I think they're getting close to ironing out all the kinks in it."

"I see," she said. "I'm going to take a nap."

"Ok," said Parvati, heading back to her bed. Hermione closed the curtains around her and stared up at the ceiling. Within minutes, she had fallen asleep, and Malfoy kept appearing in her dreams.

She woke up two hours later, feeling very tired and irritable. She got out of bed and walked down to the Great Hall alone, hoping to catch Harry and Ron for lunch. For some odd reason, everyone seemed to be staring at her, and she hoped that she hadn't put her robes on back to front. She sat down next to Harry who did a double take. She frowned at him and looked at Ron who was in front of her and was staring at her slack jawed. "What?" she snapped. "Have I grown an extra head?"

"Your hair," said Ron. "What happened to your hair?"

"Don't be ridiculous Ron," said Hermione, helping herself to some potatoes. "My hair is perfectly normal now. I used Sleakeazy's yesterday, but that wore off." Ron shoved a spoon at her. Hermione couldn't really see anything in it. "I can't see anything."

"Ginny," said Harry, grabbing the back of the girl's robes as she passed. "Do you have a mirror on you?"

"Yes I do – Hermione!" she exclaimed. "Your hair!"

"What is wrong with my hair!" said Hermione getting very frustrated. "If someone would at least _tell_ me – whoa." Ginny shoved the mirror in her face and Hermione saw for herself, what everyone else had been gaping at. Her bushy hair was now sleek and wavy, and seemed to have been cut into layers. It was darker too, much darker, about two shades away from being jet black like Harry's was.

Hermione didn't know what to say. She just stared. It was just so _strange_.

She became aware of a muffled giggle and turned to find Parvati and Lavender staring at her. The pieces all fell in and arranged themselves neatly in her head, and Hermione felt her temper rise. Before she could say anything, Ginny spoke first.

"You are unbelievable! How dare you do something like that?"

"Anything would be an improvement on that," said Parvati.

"And I really hope that someone chops your head off," said Ginny. "Because _that _would be an improvement. At least none of us will have to see your face. Come on Hermione."

"You're forgetting who you're talking to Weasley," said Parvati coldly. "There are a few things I know about you that might just slip out of my mouth if you're not careful." Ginny simply rolled her eyes at her.

"I'd like to see you try," she said, and steered Hermione out of the Great Hall. "How did they manage to catch you unawares?"

"I was taking a nap!" said Hermione indignantly. "Now I have to learn a dozen protective spells to be able to stay in my own dormitory? Urgh, it looks terrible. It makes me look all pasty skinned and sickly."

"Looking good Granger," drawled a familiar someone. Hermione ignored him.

"Do you still want to go with your 'live and let live' plan?" said Ginny raising an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry for earlier," said Hermione. "Will you help me?" Ginny smiled.

_Er, I have no comment on this chapter, partly because I'm still half asleep. What do you think? I managed to crank this out while functioning on four hours of sleep. These exams are killing me, and they haven't even started yet! I can't wait for july..._

_R&R please! X)_


	10. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER, AND I AM NOT MAKING ANY MONEY OFF THIS PIECE OF WRITING._

Draco strutted into the Great Hall, utterly pleased with himself. Granger was following along with no complaints, and Pansy hadn't bothered him at all that day. Everything was going perfectly well.

He sat down in between Crabbe and Blaise. "What's Granger done to her hair?"

"Madam Lafarge's obviously," said Pansy sitting down in front of them. "And she's gotten a haircut too. It looks awful."

"Au contraire," said Blaise. "I think she looks ravishing." Pansy glared at him.

"Never thought you'd be one to fall for a Mudblood Blaise."

"Yet again you misunderstand me," said Blaise, exaggeratingly exasperated. "I commented on her appearance, not write a sonnet and profess my undying love for her in front of the entire school." Pansy didn't say anything. Draco took advantage of the momentary silence to finish all his food as soon as possible.

"Where are you off to?" asked Pansy.

"Sleep."

"I'll come with you."

"No, I mean, actually, sleep," he said. "As in close my eyes and hope I don't snore." He walked out of the Hall leaving Pansy looking irritated. He knew that his behaviour was suspicious, but he couldn't help himself.

…

_Meet me behind the greenhouses. It's time for your first practical lesson._

The very next morning, Draco decided that he should get started on trying to change her personality before school started again. She would probably end up falling in love with him by the end of it anyway. Who didn't?

She came quickly and quietly, and Draco thought that she'd actually decided to stay mute until she spoke.

"You better make this quick Malfoy. I haven't got all day."

"I'll take as much time as I want."

"Which is going to be as much time as I want, because face it, you need me for this plan to work. Otherwise you would have gone with any other girl."

"Be quiet Granger."

"Ok." He was very taken aback.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Ok," she repeated. "Get on with your explanation." Draco frowned. She was confusing him. And he didn't like it one bit.

"Ok, "Now, a lot of boys have been talking about your sudden change in appearance, and it seems to be a unanimous decision. All of them think you look good." He choked on the word a little but managed to carry on, intending on shocking her with what he did next, to get back at her for confusing him earlier. "I am going to prepare you for all the possible scenarios that may occur over the course of the term. Not all Hogwarts boys are this daring, but Blaise and Theodore may attempt something of this sort." Before she could get her head around what he had just said, he pushed her back to the wall of the greenhouse, pinning her in between his arms. She gasped involuntarily.

"Get off me Malfoy," she snapped.

"With pleasure." He stepped back and gave her a second to get over it. "But if that did happen in real life, I doubt they'd be as obliging."

"Oh, so you expect me to hex them?"

"Anything to get them off you," he said, and went for her again, this time placing his leg near hers so that she couldn't take her wand out of her pocket. He nuzzled her neck softly while whispering suggestive messages in her ear.

"And how am I supposed to get my wand out?" she asked coldly. Draco rolled his eyes.

"That's for me to know, and for you to figure out. Good god Granger, they say you're smart but-"

"Get away from me," she said. Draco stood back and crossed his arms.

"Granger. How do you expect me to teach you anything when you don't even try?" She pursed her lips and folded her arms. They stood in silence for a few moments, as if trying to wear each other out with their glares. "And again." He walked towards her and stood in the same position that they'd been in before.

"Hello handsome," she said. Draco was surprised, but played along.

"What say you and I go somewhere right now. Anything would be better than listening to Binns for an hour."

"Obviously. I'm dying to find out whether this looks as good as it feels," she said, running her hand up his chest.

"Do you want to find out?" he asked. Granger smiled and stroked his leg. He smiled back, but before he knew what was going on, she had cried "_Relashio!_" and he found himself flying backwards, knocking down a few empty plant pots and coming to a rest on the floor near the back wall. He got up and brushed himself off.

"Not bad," he said grudgingly. "We can move on. Now, say you are walking to class, and this happens." He slapped her butt lightly and Granger's eyes widened. "What do you do?"

She turned around and performed the Jelly-Legs jinx on him. He wobbled around and she amused herself by watching him for a while.

"Hello?" he asked. She smirked, and performed the counter-jinx. He decided not to do anything else that might give her an opportunity to jinx him again.

"All right. Now, for the next step, I think-" The sound of giggling made him stop abruptly. "What the-" Granger looked over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of someone. She grabbed his collar and dragged him further inside. They went through Greenhouse One, and Two, and finally ended up behind a large pot in Greenhouse Three. "Who was that?" he asked.

"Harry and Parkinson," she said. She suddenly realised how close she was to him, and that she was still holding onto his collar. She let go immediately, and they both sat in awkward silence for a moment. Draco didn't like the way his heart was beating so fast. He really didn't like the way goosebumps were appearing up and down his arms. He especially didn't like the way he was noticing little things about her that he'd never noticed before, like how her dark hair made her eyes sparkle more, and how her lips were so full and soft…

_Shut up Draco._

_Ok._

"Moving on," he said, clearing the lump in his throat. "You will not only face harassment from the male population of this school, but also from the female population. As with the boys, ignore them, and learn to dodge jinxes. I heard Pansy jinxed you very badly a few weeks ago. I'm surprised that you didn't learn how to block it."

"Well maybe it's time for me to learn how to do a Shield Charm then," she said.

"Hmm." The awkward silence was back.

"I have to go," she said.

"Ok," said Draco, trying very hard to get rid of all the goosebumps on his arms.

_Shit, shit, shit, get a grip on yourself. You're above this. Draco Malfoy doesn't fall for other people. Other people fall for Draco Malfoy. This is ridiculous._

But as he snuck back into the castle, a tiny voice at the back of his head whispered, _maybe not._

_Oh shut up._

_What if I don't? This is the little voice of truth that you never listen to Draco. Ignore me and there will be consequences._

_Ok, whoever you are, get out of my head right now!_

_But I am you. I can't possibly come out._

_Shut up! God, I think I'm going insane._

_It's called first love._

_Argh! Stop it, stop it, stop it!_

"Watch where you're going Malfoy!" He'd just walked into Weasley without realising it.

"I don't have to watch where I'm going Weasel. You have to stay out of my way. What happened to all your little friends? Did they run away screaming because they couldn't support your freeloading?" He took great pleasure in watching the redhead's face turn violet.

_Might as well make someone else suffer too._

"Harry and Hermione have their own things to do."

"Really Weasel? Do you really think that Granger's in the library and that Potter's flying around the Quidditch pitch, trying to get rid of the voices in his head?" Weasley looked confused. "Poor _and_ dim I see. Never expected much from you anyway." Draco walked off, knowing that he wouldn't dare to hex him, considering that the last time he did, he had ended up vomiting slugs.

As he said the password and entered the common room, he realised that the sense of satisfaction he had felt while insulting Weasley had disappeared.

_Hmm, a little short, but the second task is going to roll around soon, and the half forgotten terms of the bet may just resurface… Still... R&R XD_


	11. Chapter 11

_Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER, AND I AM NOT MAKING ANY MONEY OFF THIS PIECE OF WRITING._

"How'd it go?"

"Well I'm not really sure, but he seemed slightly unnerved." Hermione had decided against telling Ginny about the minor incident in the greenhouse where she and Draco had been squashed behind the plant pot. She hadn't liked the feeling at all, and hoped that it would disappear if she didn't talk about it. "Is that a good thing?"

"Depends on what it was about," said Ginny thoughtfully. "If he was unnerved about you being so forward all of a sudden, that's ok, but if he was unnerved because he suddenly discovered hidden feelings for you, that's a step forward."

Hermione scoffed. "You're so knowledgeable all of a sudden." Ginny shrugged and smiled slightly.

"Anyway, let's just be optimistic. If he keeps giving you these lessons, then you can really make his mind go wild. What better way to torture a Malfoy than to toy with-"

"I have a question for you Ginny," said Hermione, cutting in cleanly through the girl's explanation. "Why is it that you are full of advice for me, which seems to sound sensible, if not somewhat immature, but you're a stumbling mess around Harry?" Ginny looked away and didn't reply. "You know, he might pay more attention to you if you act more like yourself and maybe go out with a few other boys sometimes. It wouldn't hurt."

"But he's head over heels with Parkinson. What is the skinny little Weasley girl compared to the most gorgeous girl in his year?"

"Ok, first, I think you've forgotten that Parkinson's preferred method of getting boys to trail after her is by giving them large doses of love potion, and second, her looks, _gorgeous_ as they may be, are completely fake, so once he comes back to his senses, I think he'll be able to figure out what's worth paying attention to."

"What if I'm not worth it?"

"Whatever happened to being optimistic? Come on Gin, trust me this once. Whatever Parkinson's giving him, it isn't very strong. We just have to get him to stop eating in the Great Hall or at least keep him occupied enough until it wears off. We'll find a way, don't worry."

"If you say so," said Ginny, not sounding very convinced.

New Year's passed without much celebration, and soon, lessons had started again. Malfoy hadn't asked Hermione to attend any more of his 'lessons', which Ginny interpreted as a good sign. However, Hermione didn't have enough time to spend thinking about boys because the second task was looming, and Harry had said he still had a few more kinks to iron out. She and Ron accompanied him to Hogsmeade again one weekend and she intended on asking him what hed found out so far. The three of them hadn't been hanging out together as often as they had been, what with Harry sneaking off to see Pansy all the time, Ron enjoying Seamus and Dean's company more than anyone else's, and Hermione plotting Malfoy's 'downfall' with Ginny.

Walking past Zonko's, she realised that she was in a better mood than she had been in weeks, and to top it all off, the strange feeling she'd had in the greenhouse was completely gone. The only problem now was her hair.

"Dean and Seamus like it," said Ron, as though that settled everything.

"Yes, but I don't. I have no idea how to get it back."

"Have you tried dye?" asked Harry.

"No," said Hermione. "Maybe…" They walked into the three broomsticks in silence. Ron ordered, while she and Harry looked around for a seat. "About the egg," said Hermione, once they were all settled. "How much have you found out so far?"

"I- er," Harry exchanged glances with Ron and Hermione instantly realised that he hadn't got a clue what it was about.

"You lied to me didn't you?"

"It's not like that Hermione, I just didn't-"

"Save it for someone who cares won't you?" she said, standing up and walking out, leaving her untouched Butterbeer on the table. Harry and Ron didn't ask her to come back.

If it was just the egg, mused Hermione as she walked down the street and turned a corner, she could have forgiven him. He was probably afraid of her reaction after all. It was the fact that Harry hadn't been telling her, _or_ Ron anything over the past few months. Not about school, other people, or even You-Know-Who. She really wanted to help him out, but if he didn't want it, then he wasn't going to get any.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't even hear Malfoy calling her until he ran and grabbed her arm. "What do you want?" she snapped.

Malfoy raised his eyebrows. "I merely wanted to tell you that your next lesson will take place tomorrow at three o' clock in the afternoon, but you seem to have other things on your mind."

"Goodbye," she said, and walked away, but he stopped her again.

"Hermione." She stopped in her tracks, her heart beating so frantically that for a moment she was scared that it might burst from the pressure. Slowly she turned to face him, trying very hard not to betray any emotion on her face.

"What?"

"What's wrong?

"What's it to you?"

"I can't very well have my secret girlfriend being depressed can I?" She rolled her eyes. He placed his hand on the small of her back and led her towards a more isolated section of the town. Hermione had never been here before. There were no houses, only trees and a bench. She sat down on it and he settled down next to her. She shifted slightly folded her arms and sighed. Malfoy waited for a while, and when she didn't speak, he sighed as well.

"Just so you know, I'm here if you ever want to talk." He stood up, squeezed her shoulder, and walked off. Hermione didn't say anything. She sat on the bench until dark began to fall.

She met Ron near the gates. "Hi. Where's Harry?"

"He left early. Didn't say why." Ron turned towards her. "D'you have any clue?" Hermione shook her head. Ron shoved his hands into his pockets. "Both of you disappear so much nowadays, I dunno what to do."

"Well you know I'm in the library half the time Ron-"

"Yeah, but Malfoy-"

"Don't believe anything he says Ron. You know what he's like."

"Yeah, but he seemed to know."

"Malfoy is an arse. Don't forget that."

"I went to the library yesterday, and the day before. You weren't there."

"I was in my room with Ginny. You can ask her." Ron seemed satisfied, but something was still troubling him.

"Still dunno where Harry goes."

"Mmm."

"He hardly ever talks to me. Or you. I know he had a funny dream the other night, but he wouldn't say."

"He'll talk when he wants to. I don't know what's on his mind right now, but it certainly isn't either of us."

"Hmm." They walked up the stairs and through the great double doors. "I saw Parkinson with Blaise today. Seems like she and Malfoy are having a few problems."

"Who cares about Slytherin woes?" said Hermione, trying to hide her indignation. If Harry found out… She couldn't let it happen.

"Yeah," smiled Ron. "Just trying to make conversation."

"I know," said Hermione, feeling a smile grow on her own face. Having one of her best friends back felt good.

_Oh well, Hermione is or was, very hurt here, and so, we realise, is Ron, although he doesn't show it. So sorry for the late upload, but I've been having some mad internet problems_


	12. Chapter 12

_Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER, AND I AM NOT MAKING ANY MONEY OFF THIS PIECE OF WRITING._

When Draco got to his room, he heard a familiar noise coming from inside. Instead of going in to investigate, he decided to wait outside. Blaise or Theodore seemed to be having a girl over. He sighed, and put his hand on the doorknob.

"Draco!" he heard someone shout from the common room. "Why aren't you at Hogsmeade?"

"I came back early," he said, as Theodore drew closer and wedged himself in between Draco and the door. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason, I was wondering where you were, no one could find you."

"Well is it important?"

"No, not really," said Theodore loudly, looking somewhat alarmed at his cold tone. "I was merely wondering…"

"Well, now that I've answered your question, can I please go in?" he asked.

"Oh, oh, I'm sorry, sure, yeah," he said, hurrying out of the way. Draco rolled his eyes and immediately checked himself. He was spending much too much time with Granger.

He walked in to find Pansy sitting on his bed and Blaise lying on his, head in textbook. "Draco baby!" she squealed, and threw herself around him. "I've been waiting for you!" She kissed him, and Draco tried to respond, but now that the potion had worn off, it just wasn't the same. He tried to act completely love struck, ignoring Pansy's lopsided buttons and Blaise's dishevelled hair and messed up sheets.

"I'm really glad to see you too," he smiled, with some effort. "But I'm really tired, and I just want to go to bed. I'll see you at dinner," he said, kissing her on the cheek. Pansy smiled what looked like a relieved smile, and skipped out. Draco flopped down on the bed, trying to calm his rising temper. First Pansy, then Granger, now Blaise and Theodore too? This was really starting to get annoying.

He was slightly cheered up by the thought of the second task coming up. With Pansy distracting him so much, he surely couldn't have had that much time to prepare.

Feeling somewhat satisfied, he rolled over and fell asleep not long later.

….….….….….….….….….….….….….

The lessons with Granger had become more and more interesting. Draco hadn't realised that she was this spunky, and he began to feel a growing attraction to her, although he was too proud to admit it. If she rejected him, he'd never be able to live it down.

One day, they sat on one of the benches in the changing rooms, just chatting aimlessly. She did most of the talking, while he sat and admired her. Sunlight streamed through the windows and reflected off her hair, which was still that amazing shade of mahogany.

"So I said to him, Harry, if you don't want us to be your friends, then just tell us, because we'd like to know whether we're wasting our time on you or not. And he just said ok. Ron just went mute at that point, and I slapped him and said, fine, run off to that stupid cow Parkinson. We all know how much you enjoy her company! And that started another row between Harry, Ron, Seamus and Dean, and it became so bad that the prefects had to call it off. Now he barely comes into the common room."

"Huh."

"Draco, are you even listening?"

"What? Of course I am. You just said that Potter doesn't come into the common room anymore." He laughed at the exasperated expression on her face. "Oh come on Hermione, why waste time talking about Pothead when we can be doing something more interesting?"

"What do you suggest?" He winked at her and leant in.

The kiss was like an explosion of fireworks on his lips; he'd never felt anything like it. He cupped her face in his hands and slowly deepened the kiss, moving his hands to her hair. Her hands made their way to his neck, and she began to pull on his lower lip. His hands moved down, and to the front, and he broke the kiss for a moment to pull her robes off. His eyes widened as he saw what she was wearing.

"Thought you might like it," she said mischievously, and pushed him down on the bench.

Draco had never experienced anything on that scale before. Hermione, clad in only her underwear, was kissing him with such ferocity that he thought his lips would bleed under the pressure. Yet, he managed to get his robes off, and soon enough, both of them were completely undressed.

Hermione sighed as he turned her over and kissed her neck, moving down to her breasts and then back up again. When he thrust himself into her, she gasped, but quickly relaxed as the thrusts became more regular. "Draco!" she screamed, as the sunlight filled the room. "Draco, Draco, Draco…"

"Wake up!" Draco jerked awake to find the curtains drawn back and Crabbe standing over him. "You're going to be late."

"Wha-" He glanced sideways. "Fuck." He dressed hurriedly, brushing his teeth and trying to put on his socks at the same time. He rushed upstairs and burst into class, very much aware of everyone's eyes on him.

"You're late Mr Malfoy," said Professor Vector reprovingly.

Do you think I don't know that? "I'm sorry."

"Well do sit down. As I was saying, today we shall be looking at numerical…"

The only empty seat was next to Granger. Draco couldn't risk sitting next to her. Not just then.

"Is there a problem Mr. Malfoy?"

"I can't sit there." Professor Vector raised an eyebrow.

"I doubt Miss Granger has a contagious disease Mr. Malfoy, because if she did, she would be sensible enough to go to the hospital wing. Now stop being silly." Sighing, Draco dragged his feet and sat down next to her, taking extra care not to make eye contact. Soon, surprisingly, a note landed on his desk.

_Scared?_

_**What of?**_

_Oh, I don't know… Perhaps you've been having stranger than normal emotions lately…_

_**What do you know Granger?**_

_Nothing, nothing. Just guessing. Am I right?_

_**No.**_

_Are you sure?_

_**Aren't you supposed to be taking notes?**_

_Can I not multitask?_

_**No.**_

_Why not?_

_**Because I can't.**_

_And you're telling me that you actually pay proper attention in class? Even before the whole love potion affair you'd sleep. I haven't forgotten the first term of third year._

_**Whatever Granger. I find that I retain information best with my eyes closed.**_

_Oh really? And how has that been proven?_

_**It's been proven by me. If you have such a good memory, you should remember that I was only two percent away from getting full marks.**_

_Below me again, yes I do remember._

_**What if I beat you this time?**_

_Never going to happen Malfoy._

_**Want to bet?**_

_No. We already have an ongoing one, in case you haven't noticed._

_**I thought you could multitask.**_

_Oh be quiet._

_Draco couldn't help himself. A small bubble of laughter escaped his lips and everyone turned to look at him again._

"Mr Malfoy!"

"I'm sorry!" Professor Vector glared at him, and he looked down.

_**Now look what you did.**_

_I didn't ask you to laugh._

_**Even so.**_

_Oh shut up._

_**You don't mean that.**_

_Shut up._

_**See? You didn't deny it.**_

_I mean it._

_**No you don't.**_

_Yes I do._

_**No.**_

_Yes._

_**No.**_

_Yes._

_**Promise you'll make out with me after class.**_

_Yes._

_**Ok sugar.**_

_Wait, NO! NO I WILL NOT!_

_**But you promised.**_

_NO! NO! I TAKE IT BACK! MALFOY!_

_**You can't take back a promise sugar.**_

_Yes I can._

_**No you can't sugar.**_

_Stop calling me sugar! I'm not writing anymore!_

Draco chuckled lightly and put the piece of parchment in his pocket.

_Ah note passing. We all love it so…_


End file.
